Drinking ban sought for New Year, Songkran

[Chang_paarp 253]

The fun police are at it again.

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/446965/drinking-ban-sought-for-new-year-songkran

 

 

Looks like the annual "Lets stop selling booze at the most popular time" folk are at it again. Next we will hear from the tourist folk saying how it will affect the tourist arrivals.

 

New Year AND Songkran, that will go down well, the cops will be needing something to fill out their pockets so if it goes ahead they will be kind of happy. Do you think the locals will take any notice? I think not, especially in baan nork.

[Chang_paarp 253]

The inevitable kick-back against this has started. I am surprised that it took this long/

 

 

Alcohol beverages ban triggers outcry

in General | December 9, 2014 11:07 am(191 views)

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A proposal by the director of the Office of the Alcoholic Beverages Committee Dr Samarn Futrakul to ban all alcohol beverages sales during the New Year holiday and Songkran festival is stiring up outcry with many business operators voicing strong opposition saying that it will severely affect their business and affect tourism.

But Public Health Minister Dr Ratchata Ratchata-nawin assured that the ban is still a tentative proposal which can be changed when it is to be debated by the Alcoholic Beverages Committee which he is chairman on December 19.

It is an undeniable fact that New Year and Songkran festival holidays are a time for celebration and rejoicing and alcohol consumption is the norm. But it is also argued that the major cause of road mishaps that claimed high casualties during festive season is drunk driving.

This led Dr Samarn, director of Office of the Alcoholic Beverages Committee to propose banning alcoholic sales during the two festivals.

However Dr Samarn assured, however, he proposed only banning of sales but did not prohibit drinking.

Customers still can buy before the banned time goes into effect, and then take them out for drinking during the festive time, he said.

But operators of entertainment venues located on Khao Sarn road are entirely against the proposed banning of alcohol sales from December 31 to January 1 as it will directly affect their businesses.

As they said their clients are almost exclusively foreign tourists and should the proposal be passed they intend to muster to rally against it.

“It will seriously affect us because foreign tourists drink a lot of beer. This proposal will mean that we won’t be able to sell beer at all! A lot of businesses here are against it and we will certainly be protesting it,” an entertainment venue operator at Khao Sarn road said.

What is peculiar about the proposal is that although sales of alcohol is banned, private individuals are permitted to bring in their own alcohol onto the premises of restaurants or entertainment venues for consumption. This seems preposterous as few, if any, restaurant owners will allow such an act, she said.

A regular foreign customer to Khao Sarn road also said, “I don’t see how any owner will allow such a thing. What if a customer was not hungry and did not want to eat but only wants to drink!

Furthermore the idea that customers can bring in their own alcohol that they had purchased previously, to drink at restaurants that are not permitted to sell alcohol themselves is ridiculous! Thai’s love to meet up with friends and have a drink, it is in their nature, ” one Thai customer said.

But locals are not the only ones against the proposal as almost all tourists regard the banning of alcohol during New Year holidays – a universal holiday celebration; as impossible to enforce.

They did say however that the banning of alcohol sales during important national dates such as during religious holidays was agreeable and understandable.

“Who came up with this idea? I don’t think such a proposal can be enforced because even if such a law were to be passed no one is going to pay attention to it!” said Yoann Chaouch, a French tourist to Khao Sarn road.

The tremendous public outcry regarding the banning of alcohol sales during New Year and Songkran has forced Dr. Ratchata Ratchata-nawin, the Public Health Minister, to come out and say that the proposal was just an idea to tackle the number of traffic fatalities as a result of drunk-driving.

He said that the proposal would likely not come out in time for this year’s New Year holidays as the Alcohol Beverages Committee is planning to meet to consider the measures on December 19.

Furthermore, if the committee endorses the measures, then the proposal will have to be presented to the National Alcoholic Beverage Policy Committee which is chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha for approval.

“There are many different views on the issue at the moment. We will for the time being listen to all comments and opinions before making a decision.”

Under Dr Samarn proposal, violator faces six month imprisonment and a fine of a maximum 10,000 baht. The proposal intends to tackle sellers, not customers, he said.

However president of the Medical Council Prof Dr Sonsaj Loleka said no countries has ever come out with such proposal, no matter they be the United States or Japan.

They seriously tackle drunk drivers with heavy punishment outright and booking their records for life, he said.

For Thailand, he said it was the matter of no serious enforcement of laws that resulted in all measures becoming ineffective.

 

 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/alcohol-beverages-ban-triggers-outcry

[Chang_paarp 253]

The boss says no.

 

 

Prayut rejects proposal to ban alcohol sale during New Year holidays

December 9, 2014 3:55 pm

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Tuesday that he disagreed with the proposal of the Public Health Ministry to ban alcohol beverage sale during the long New Year holidays.He said the sale can proceed normally but the people must be responsible for their own welfare.

The Nation

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Prayut-rejects-proposal-to-ban-alcohol-sale-during-30249444.html

[Chang_paarp 253]

They are having another go to get this up. Got to give them points for persistence.

 

 

 

Attempt to ban sale of alcoholic drinks during New Year’s festival renewed

in General | December 17, 2014 9:53 pm(266 views)

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The Office of Alcoholic Drinks Control Committee of the Diseases Control Department has appealed to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha to ban the sale of alcoholic drinks during the New Year’s festival.

Dr Samarn Futrakul, director of the office, said today (Wednesday) that he wrote a letter on behalf of the office to the advisor of the prime minister asking for the imposition of the ban together with data showing the benefits of the ban imposed in New Zealand and several states of America such as Kansas and Connecticut.

Citing the data, Dr Samarn claimed that the ban has helped lower casualty rate from road accidents by 40 percent and assault rate against women by 50 percent.

He claimed that recent opinion survey showed that 81.79 percent of respondents supported the ban against 9.85 percent who disagreed.

Dr Samarn insisted that the ban was not a trade barrier but just a temporary measure to improve road safety and safety in lives during festive season s.

He noted that road accidents from drunk driving usually accounted for 80-90 percent of the accidents during festive seasons.

 

 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/attempt-ban-sale-alcoholic-drinks-new-years-festival-renewed

Edited December 18, 2014 by Chang_paarp